by Karly Lane
‘The minute I set eyes on you I was out of my mind,’ he shrugged, his gaze never leaving hers. ‘Come on, let’s go and see how far they got with the house today.’
Swinging her down off the top of the rails, Dan didn’t immediately release her as her feet touched the ground. ‘Don’t give up on us, Ri. We’ll get through this, okay?’
A lump formed in her throat at his solemn tone and the tinge of fear she detected tugged at her heartstrings. ‘I’m not going anywhere. Besides, if I tried, I’d only get lost and you’d have to come and find me anyway,’ she said.
Dan kissed her long and deeply, making her instantly forget the humiliation of the day’s events and reminding her instead of everything that was right in her world. Breaking apart, they were both breathing heavily and they hurried over to inspect the progress on their house renovations. They’d bided their time waiting for them to be completed by christening all the rooms over the last few weeks, relishing the time away from the main house they were sharing with Dan’s parents.
The cottage had been vacant for a few years, and while it was by no means derelict, it had been sadly neglected, having been used as a single man’s quarters for far too long.
Rilee had wasted no time starting her herb garden. She spent the first few days choosing the perfect spot, then began planting out her herbs. As a young child she’d often helped her mother in her city garden. Shelly had always said that in a hectic world, spending time tending plants and getting her hands in dirt recharged her batteries and gave her peace. After they moved, Rilee helped tend the commune veggie patch and picked produce as part of chores the whole community participated in, but she’d grown to resent it. It represented the lifestyle she was rebelling against. It wasn’t until she returned from overseas, heartbroken and weary, that she finally realised what her mother had been telling her all those years before. Growing something in the earth, caring and nurturing it, reignited her spark for life, and gradually her love of herbs and using them to heal became her passion.
Every morning she lovingly tended the cottage garden, watering and hovering over it until the first delicate shoots uncurled themselves and stretched towards the vast blue sky.
Ellen had dismissed her new project as a waste of time. ‘There’s plenty of weeding and gardening you can do in the house garden beds if you’re that bored,’ she’d informed Rilee the first morning she’d come inside hot and sweaty, her cheek smeared with dirt.
It was certainly true that Ellen had a green thumb—the established gardens were magnificent, colour-coordinated and well tended, but Rilee’s garden wasn’t there to make the place look pretty, it was a working garden. There were a lot of pre-packaged remedies she could source from suppliers but there were also a lot of formulas that needed fresh, often specific, hard to find ingredients. In the city this didn’t present a problem as she had markets and suppliers close at hand; however, out here she wouldn’t have access to fresh ingredients unless she grew them herself. By the time she had her business up and running, she hoped to have her herb garden well established.
‘It won’t be too much longer now and we’ll have our own place,’ Dan said, pulling her to him as they stood by the garden bed and inspected the seedlings sprouting to life.
‘Dan, when are you going to broach the subject of the cattle with your father?’
She saw the tension in Dan return as it had at the beginning of dinner and regretted being the cause of it this time, but it was something she knew was weighing heavily on his mind. She’d listened to him talk long into the night about his dream of developing his own line of cross-bred cattle, but he’d yet to make it a reality.
‘I already have and he’s not interested, end of story.’
‘How can he ignore the proof—did you give him the printouts to read?’
‘He wouldn’t even look at them.’
‘Well, that’s making informed choices.’ Rilee shook her head in disgust. ‘How can he be running a business if he won’t even consider ways to improve the place?’
‘He comes from an era that doesn’t like change, Rilee. It’s always been a struggle to get technology on the place. He’ll come around eventually, but there’s no point pushing him on it or he’ll just get stubborn. I’ll talk to him about it later, but for now we just go on running the place the way he wants to.’
‘He’ll get stubborn? So what is he being at the moment?’
‘He’s being Dad,’ Dan said, sending her a resigned grin.
‘You’d better not take after him, mister, or there’ll be trouble,’ Rilee warned, and she wasn’t joking. How on earth Ellen put up with such an irritable old coot was beyond her, but she wasn’t going to be treading on eggshells for the next forty years, that was for certain.
Dan tugged on her hand and they headed inside to check on the renovation progress for the day before making some progress of their own…discarding clothing.
Six
Driving down Pallaburra main street was like taking a stroll through another era. The shopfronts were shaded by wide bullnose verandahs and timber posts. For a small town, it certainly wasn’t without the necessities, but if you wanted anything other than the basics, it meant an hour-long trip to the next town. There was a combined primary and high school, grocery store, farm co-op, bank and chemist. There was a small café and takeaway and the requisite pub. In fact, Pallaburra had two pubs, aptly named the top pub and the bottom pub. Rilee had eaten at the top pub on a few occasions since coming out to Pallaburra; apparently the bottom pub was for the more social aspect of the town, like the football team and workers’ clubs, with a rowdier reputation and a less strict dress code.
Rilee parked the station ute, with the Thumb Creek Station logo sprayed across the door, next to a dusty four-wheel drive with an equally dusty cattle dog in the back and climbed out, closing the door with a thunk.
She turned and noticed a girl with a pram walking up the street towards her. There was something about her that drew Rilee’s attention. She was walking slowly, watching the schoolyard across the road and a group of schoolgirls who looked around the same age as she did. The baby gave a cry and the girl immediately bent over to soothe the infant before going on her way. Rilee looked back across at the school playground filled with loud squeals and children’s chatter. The group of teenage girls laughed and joked together, their whole demeanour carefree and youthful. Rilee followed the retreating form of the girl with the pram. It was almost as though her every step was a struggle, as though her feet were weighted down. The two scenarios were in stark contrast and Rilee felt sad for the young mother.
Inside the café, two women in matching aprons were laughing with an older man in a worn, faded hat.
The conversation died away as they watched Rilee enter and she fought the urge to turn around and walk back out again. Instead she plastered a smile on her face and sat down at the nearest table, taking her time to hang her bag over the back of the chair and fiddle with the salt and pepper shakers in the centre of the table. After a few moments she became aware of the lingering silence and glanced over at the three people staring openly at her from their position at the front counter.
‘Did ya want something to eat?’ called over the woman with grey hair in a tight bun.
Rilee straightened in her seat and sent a nervous smile towards the trio. ‘When you’re ready to take my order is fine.’
‘We don’t wait on tables around here. If ya want something to eat, ya gotta come over here and order it.’
‘Oh.’ Rilee got to her feet, bumping her hip on the table in her haste. Way to be cool and calm in front of the locals. ‘Sorry, I just thought—’
‘That we’d wait on ya hand and foot.’
‘How silly of me. Guess I’ve got a few things to learn around here,’ she said with an offhand shrug.
‘You got that right,’ the younger of the two women murmured beneath her breath.
Rilee would really have liked to forget all about the coffee but it
was too late now. There was no way she could leave without seeming as though she were having a tantrum.
‘I’m Rilee…Kincaid.’ It was still strange saying her married name out loud.
‘We know who you are,’ the young woman said, her arched eyebrow making it clear she wasn’t impressed by the fact.
‘Clem Singleton,’ the man said, obviously taking pity on her.
Rilee sent him a grateful smile. ‘Hello, Clem.’
‘And this here is Pru and Shaz.’ He waved towards the two women still leaning on the counter.
‘Hello.’ Rilee puzzled over the women’s cool reception; as far as she knew, she hadn’t done anything to deserve it.
‘So, do ya wanna order something?’ Shaz, the younger woman, asked in a bored tone.
‘I’ll just have a coffee thanks…to go,’ she added hastily.
‘Good-o,’ Pru said with a nod, and passed a styrofoam cup from under the counter to Shaz, then picked up a cloth and bustled around the bench to wipe down a nearby table. ‘So you’ve moved up from the big smoke?’
‘Yes,’ said Rilee, not feeling in the mood to chat after her lukewarm reception.
‘Why would you move from the city to here?’ Shaz piped up as she frothed milk in a silver jug. At least they seemed to know their way around a coffee machine—Rilee could forgive almost anything if it meant she could have decent coffee.
‘I got married.’
Sharon gave a less than dainty snort. ‘No man would keep me out here if I had a chance to live in the city.’
‘Well, it’s not that far. If I have withdrawals, I can always go back to visit.’
‘Yeah, now you’re a Kincaid you can afford to do whatever you want.’
Shaz’s envious remark didn’t miss its mark; Rilee felt the mutual agreement that seemed to float through the air between the three. ‘I don’t know about that, I’m sure there’s some limits to what even the Kincaids can do.’ Another silence hung. ‘So, is there anyone around the area who does naturopathy?’ Rilee asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from her in-laws.
‘Naturo-what?’ Pru’s frown crinkled her forehead and her eyebrows almost disappeared.
‘Naturopathy, natural medicine?’ Rilee elaborated, her gaze swinging from one face to another as she searched the confused expressions for a glimmer of recognition.
‘Natural? Like hippie mumbo jumbo?’ Clem asked.
‘Natural, like herbal medicine and treating health problems with diet and herbs…and other things,’ she trailed off when she realised she had lost her audience. ‘I’ll take that as a no then,’ she mumbled under her breath.
‘Why would you want one of them for?’ Pru asked.
‘I don’t want one, I am one.’
‘Didn’t they used to burn witches for that kind of thing once?’ Shaz asked as she handed over the coffee. ‘Three-fifty, thanks.’
Rilee dug in her purse and handed over the coins as she accepted her coffee, eager to get out from under the three weighty stares. ‘Well, it was nice to meet you all. I better keep moving. See you again next time.’
Never had the banging of the screen door behind her sounded so good.
Outside she took a careful sip of her coffee and sighed. Ah, caffeine, her one guilty pleasure. The caffeine itself wasn’t the part she was guilty about, it was adding the milk and sugar that was the problem. She always got a chuckle out of the relief that washed across her clients’ faces when they realised she wasn’t going to ban them from drinking coffee as part of her overhaul of their diet to address different ailments.
She actually believed caffeine to be beneficial. Being a stimulant, it increased the activity of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, as well as stimulating the central nervous system, resulting in increased alertness. In moderation, coffee had positive effects on the body. Indulging once in a while in good coffee was not the end of the world. Rilee understood all too well that there were times when only coffee or chocolate could fix a situation…and right now was one of those times.
There was a lazy afternoon feel about the sleepy little town and not a single car driving along the main street. There were a few parked utes with dogs waiting patiently in the back for their owners to return, tongues lolling from the side of their mouths as they basked in the warm sunshine.
As Rilee walked towards the chemist, she had to jump back quickly to avoid having her toes run over by a pram that came barrelling out the doorway.
Rilee smiled at the rather flustered young girl pushing it. It was the girl she’d noticed earlier.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, and Rilee realised why she was so flustered—the baby was bawling.
‘Such a shame. Poor little thing, what kind of life has it got, hey?’
Rilee turned her head to find a woman beside her in a bright pink skirt and faded yellow blouse. ‘Pardon?’
The woman looked at Rilee before nodding her head after the girl. ‘Kids having kids. No idea what they’re doing.’
Rilee wasn’t sure how to respond to that—after all, she didn’t know anything about the girl, although she had to admit she did look rather young.
‘What’s the world coming to?’ her new companion continued. The older woman tore her pessimistic gaze from the main street and looked back at Rilee. ‘The new Kincaid addition, I believe.’
Rilee’s friendly smile dropped slightly. ‘How did you know?’
‘Well, you’re not from around here, and seeing as everyone’s talking about Dan Kincaid eloping with some city woman, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who you are.’
‘Oh.’
The woman’s cherry red lipstick cracked a little as her mouth creased into a smile. ‘I’m Edna, it’s nice to meet you, love.’
‘Hello, Edna.’ Rilee breathed out a relieved sigh; finally someone who seemed welcoming.
‘So how are you finding Pallaburra? Bit different to what you’re used to, I guess.’
‘Just a bit,’ Rilee agreed. ‘But I don’t mind. Actually, I was just admiring the architecture. There’s not a lot of towns that still have so many original buildings in such good condition.’
‘Is that a nice way of saying it looks like we’re stuck in the past?’ Edna arched one silver eyebrow, but Rilee was reassured by her smile.
‘Not at all, I think it’s lovely.’
‘Yes, I hear the younger ones complaining about it, but I think it’s comforting to realise my great-grandparents would still recognise the town if they were to come back. I feel a connection to the place, you know?’
Rilee didn’t know, not really. She hadn’t been born and raised in the one town, but she could imagine that it would be nice to belong somewhere like that.
‘Well, mustn’t stop, lots of things to do and the day’s getting away from me.’ Edna reached out to pat Rilee’s arm. ‘Lovely to meet you, dear, welcome to Pallaburra.’
Rilee watched the woman toddle off up the street, dragging a small trolley behind her, then turned and walked into the pharmacy.
A woman dressed in a fitted blouse and knee-length skirt glanced up from dusting a selection of perfume bottles. Her dour expression changed as soon as Rilee introduced herself. ‘Ellen’s new daughter-in-law,’ she gushed. ‘We’ve been waiting to get a chance to meet you. Errol,’ she shouted, turning back to Rilee with a grimace. ‘Sorry, dear, he’s half deaf. Errol!’
Rilee didn’t have time to reply before a white-coated gentleman emerged from the back of the shop with a frown.
‘What are you out here yelling about, woman?’
‘Errol, dear,’ she said with forced politeness. ‘This is Ellen and Jacob’s daughter-in-law, Rilee. This is my husband, Errol, and I’m Betty,’ she added.
The man peered at Rilee over the top of his thick-rimmed black glasses and gave a short grunt. ‘Good to meet you. Haven’t seen you in church,’ he added without bothering to hide the disapproval.
Rilee sent a nervous glance across to his wife who stood with her h
ead tilted like a curious owl. ‘No, I…it’s been pretty hectic with our house renovations and whatnot…’ she heard herself saying weakly. Why she didn’t just come out and say she didn’t go to church? She had no idea, only that Errol had a rather intimidating air about him.
‘So, what can we help you with, dear?’ Betty asked in the uncomfortable silence that followed.
‘Oh, nothing really, I just thought I’d come in and have a look around and introduce myself. I’m hoping to set up a naturopathy clinic sometime in the near future.’
‘Naturopathy?’ Errol repeated and Rilee watched in fascination as a large, grey, bushy eyebrow peeped over the top of his thick glasses.
‘Yes,’ Rilee said. ‘Natural medicine.’
‘I know what it is,’ he said bluntly. ‘I’m just not a believer in it.’
Rilee smiled politely. This wasn’t the first professional she’d met who disapproved of natural therapies. ‘Well, I guess that means we won’t be stepping on each other’s toes then,’ she said lightly. Errol narrowed his gaze as she waved her hand at the sparse shelving. ‘Since you don’t seem to have a huge natural component to your store.’
‘Like I said, I’m not a believer in it. Most of it’s a waste of good money.’ He turned and headed back through the doors at the rear of the store.
Betty flicked her duster over a nearby shelf and cleared her throat hastily. ‘Well, do give my regards to Ellen, won’t you.’
That went well, Rilee thought as she stepped outside and put her sunglasses back on. What was the saying? Pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing them all off is a piece of cake?
Yep, it shouldn’t be that difficult to get on the wrong side of pretty much the whole town by the day’s end.
Seven
A few days later, Rilee was on the verandah reading when she heard the gate open and looked up to see Dan walking towards her. She loved the way he walked; his strides were long and confident, and there was an easy swagger to his movements she found incredibly sexy.
‘Are you home for lunch?’